The present invention relates generally to coin processing devices and, more particularly, to a coin bag support mechanism for use with a coin processing device for bagging coins.
Coin sorting machines generally have the ability to receive bulk coins of many denominations from a user or operator of the machine and to sort the coins into individual denominations and deposit the sorted coins into containers corresponding to each respective denomination as sorted. A common type of container for holding sorted coins is the coin bag. When these containers have reached their capacity, the operator of the coin sorter must then physically remove the full container and replace it with an empty container so that the machine can be returned to its operational state.
There are a variety of different sized coin bags available to users of coin sorting machines. Different sized coin bags represent a different quantity of coins and a correspondingly different value. For example, a full 15 inch (38.10 cm) coin bag holds a greater quantity of U.S. quarters than a full 12 inch (30.48 cm) coin bag.
Different coin processing applications require different sized coin bags. For example, in a casino environment, it may be desirable to accommodate one coin bag size that can hold the number of coins corresponding to a xe2x80x9chopper fill bag,xe2x80x9d which contains a known amount of tokens/coins so that a gaming machine can be filled with the bag and can discharge payouts to users who have won a jackpot. Also in the casino environment, it may be desirable to use a different size of coin bag as required for deposit at a bank.
One drawback associated with prior art coin sorters is their inability to accommodate more than one size of coin bag. Accommodating different sized coin bags is desirable from an operator""s standpoint as the operator may require different sized coin bags for different coin processing applications. Accommodating different sized coin bags is also desirable from a manufacturer""s standpoint, as the manufacturer need only build one type of coin sorter which can accommodate many different sizes of coin bags as opposed to building a different coin sorter (or different sized coin sorter housings) corresponding to each size of coin bag available. It is not practical nor desirable to use smaller sized coin bags with a sorter designed to accommodate larger sized coin bags because in this situation, the bottom of the smaller sized coin bag is unsupported and the coin bags have a tendency to tear when filled if unsupported. Therefore, a need exists for a coin sorter that can easily accommodate different sized coin bags.
A coin processing machine comprises a coin processing region for processing coins, a coin receiving region for receiving coins processed from the coin processing region, and a modular coin bag supporting device. The coin receiving region includes a bag clamping mechanism for holding a coin bag and a bag-support surface located below the bag clamping mechanism. The modular coin bag supporting device is adapted to be positioned on the bag-support surface.
The above summary of the present invention is not intended to represent each embodiment, or every aspect, of the present invention. Additional features and benefits of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description, figures, and claim set forth below.